Textile coiler with cooperating drive means and sliver can locating means

ABSTRACT

The textile coiler and sliver can disclosed herein are provided with mating means for locating the sliver can in a predetermined position beneath the coiler head, and drive means cooperating with the mating means to maintain the mating relationship thereof while rotating the sliver can.

United States Patent Johns Mar. 7, 1972 [54] TEXTILE COILER WITH [56] References Cited COOPERATING DRIVE MEANS AND SLIVER CAN LOCATING MEANS UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,323,179 6/1967 Gossett 61 a1. ..19/159 3,401,447 10/1968 Kinsler ..19/159 173 Assignee: Wellman mum-166, 1116., Johnsonville, 2,666,959 1/1954 Watson et 8].... ..19/1s9 s.c. 392,950 11/1888 Dunharn e161. ..l9/260 [22] PM: My 6, 1970 3,411,188 11/1968 Walker et al. ..19 159 21 A 1' N J 52 3 Primary Examiner-Dorsey Newton I 1 Pp A0 Attorney-Jarrett, Bel], Seltzer, P8lk&GibS0n 152] U.S.Cl. 19/1591: 51] ABSTRACT 51 161.01... B6511 54/80 The text1le cedar and sliver can disclosed herein are prov1ded [581 Field 61 Search ..19/1s9i;/s29l il with mating means for locating the sliver can in a predetep mined position beneath the coiler head, and drive means cooperating with the mating means to maintain the mating relationship thereof while rotating the sliver can.

13 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures ZOe J l 15 L PATENTEDHAR 7 I972 SHEET 2 [1F 2 INVENTOR:

HERMAN S. JOHNS A ORNEYS TEXTILE COILER WITH COOPERATING DRIVE MEANS AND SLIVER CAN LOCATING MEANS This invention relates to an improved textile coiler having novel locating means for aligning an upright sliver can in a predetermined position beneath a coiler head and novel drive mechanism cooperating with the locating means for rotating the sliver can in the predetermined position as a sliver strand is coiled into the open upper end of the sliver can by the coiler head.

It is well known that, for many years, textile coilers have been equipped with driven rotary turntables beneath the coiler heads thereof for supporting and rotating sliver cans thereon to facilitate coiling sliver strands being fed by the coiler heads into the sliver cans. During recent years, the textile industry has been using progressively larger sliver cans so as to decrease the frequency of handling the cans and also to decrease the number of cans required in a particular mill. However, as the cans have become progressively larger, they have become more difficult to handle and, therefore, the trend has been to provide rollers or casters on the cans to facilitate moving the cans from place to place.

Since conventional turntables generally support the sliver cans several inches above the floor level, various prior art sliver can locating apparatuses have been proposed heretofore with a view to eliminating the use of conventional turntables and to permit roller-equipped sliver cans to be supported and rotated upon the floor or a thin plate resting on the floor, thereby eliminating the need for elevating the sliver cans in order to perform the usual doffing and donning operations. However, such prior art apparatuses have been too complex and required a large number of parts and have been expensive to manufacture. Also, such prior art apparatuses have included elements engaging the periphery of the sliver can to hold it in rotative position, thus presenting undesirable lint collecting surfaces adjacent the sliver can.

It is therefore an object of this invention to provide an improved apparatus for locating successive roller-equipped sliver cans beneath a coiler head and for driving the sliver cans, which apparatus is of simple and economical construction, which may be easily maintained, and which obviates the need for manual lifting of the sliver cans during the doffing and donning operations.

It is another object of this invention to provide an apparatus of the character described which is devoid of any encumbering movable parts which would, if present, have to be displaced in order to perform the doffing and donning operations.

It is a more specific object of this invention to provide, in combination with a textile coiler having a coiler head for feeding a sliver strand downwardly therethrough, an upright sliver can having rollers depending therefrom and also having a pilot member carried thereby and depending from the sliver can in concentric relation thereto. A locating device, extending up wardly from the floor or planar surface located beneath the coiler head, is provided with a recess therein which is open at one side thereof and adapted to engagingly receive the pilot member so that the pilot member may be positioned in and removed from the recess without the necessity of lifting the sliver can. Additionally, a circular engaging'means is carried by and substantially concentric with the sliver can, and a driven rotary member is positioned to engage the circular engaging means to rotate the sliver can when the pilot member is positioned in the recess of the locating device, with the rela- FIG. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical sectional view through the lower portion of the sliver can and an adjacent driven rotary member of the coiler for rotating the sliver can, and also illustrating the sliver can locating device;

FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of a portion of the textile coiler of FIG. 1, looking at the top of the coiler base or platform and at the bottom of the sliver can; and

FIG. 4 is a schematic sectional plan view, mostly in elevation, taken substantially along line 4-4 in FIG. 2.

Referring more specifically to the drawings, the coiler comprises a coiler head 10 (FIG. 1) mounted on a frame 11 carried by columns 12, 13, 14 suitably secured to a relatively thin base 15 providing a planar surface 16 spaced beneath coiler head 10. Coiler head 10 includes a rotary coiler member or coiler plate provided with an eccentrically located passage 11b therethrough for feeding and coiling a strand of sliver S into a sliver can 20 positioned therebeneath. Sliver strand S may be directed from a suitable source, not shown, and into and through rotary coiler plate 11a, by any suitable means.

Coiler head 10 may be of any well-known type whose coiler member or coiler plate is mounted for rotation on a fixed vertical axis, such as that indicated at A in FIG. 1, and thus requires that the associated sliver can 20 is rotated at a relatively slower speed than the coiler member and about an axis such as that indicated at B in FIG. 1 offset with respect to the axis A. Generally, such a coiler head is shown, for example, in Whitehursts US. Pat. No. 2,823,999, dated May 6, I958. Accordingly, a further detailed description of coiler head 10 is deemed to be unnecessary, it being deemed sufficient to state that coiler member 110 may be driven by a suitable driving mechanism embodied in a drive motor 22 shown in the upper left-hand portion of FIG. 1.

An upright shaft 23, commonly known as a coiler shaft, is driven at a relatively slow speed by motor 22 and extends downwardly therefrom adjacent one side of sliver can 20. The lower end of coiler shaft 23 is joumaled in a suitable bearing 24 carried by coiler base 15. A sliver can drive means, embodied in a driven rotary member 25, is suitably secured on a lower portion of coiler shaft 23 and thus is driven by shaft 23.

Rotary member 25 may be in the form of a gear or sprocket wheel provided with a circular series of projecting teeth 25a thereon and also provided with a substantially concentric, preferably smooth, circumferential surface or race 25b thereon. Rotary member 25 may be partially enclosed in a suitable protective casing 26, if desired.

Sliver can 20 comprises an upright substantially cylindrical body 20a and a circular bottom wall 20b. As shown in FIGS. 1, 2 and 3, bottom wall 20b is of greater diameter than and projects outwardly beyond the lower edge of cylindrical body 200. However, it is to be understood that the sliver can may be constructed so that the cylindrical body 20a thereof encircles and projects downwardly below the bottom wall 20b thereof as is the case with most conventional sliver cans. A plurality of rollers or casters 20c depend from bottom wall 20b and preferably are arranged in substantially circularly spaced relationship to facilitate moving sliver can 20 from place to place, and onto and off of the supporting surface 16. Also, the rollers 20c facilitate rotation of the sliver can on the supporting surface 16 during the feeding and coiling of the sliver strands S into sliver can 20. It is preferred that rollers 200 are joumaled in respective support members 2011 swivelly connected to flanged brackets 20c suitably secured to the lower surface of the bottom wall 20b of sliver can 20, as best shown in FIG. 2.

According to the invention, means carried by and depending from the central portion of the bottom wall 20b of sliver can 20 matingly cooperates with upstanding means extending upwardly from supporting surface 16 for positioning the sliver can in predetermined relation to the coiler. To this end, a pilot member, broadly designated at 30 (FIGS. 2, 3, and 4), depends from the central portion of bottom wall 20b of sliver can 20 and is adapted to be received in a locating device, broadly designated at 31, projecting upwardly from supporting surface 16 beneath coiler head 10.

As shown in FlGS. 2 and 3, pilot member 30 comprises a relatively short upright shaft 300 whose upper end is fixed in a flanged bracket 30b suitably secured to the central portion of the lower surface of bottom wall 20b of sliver can 20. The lower portion of shaft 30a has the inner race of an antifriction bearing 300 secured thereon. The axis of bearing 30 should correspond substantially with the vertical axis of the body 200 of sliver can 20.

Locating device 31 may take the form of a block, but preferably comprises a substantially U-shaped strap member 31a defining a recess 31b therein adapted to matingly receive the bearing 300 of pilot member 30 therein. One side of recess 31b is open so that the pilot member 30 may be positioned in and removed from recess 31}; without the necessity of lifting sliver can 20 to raise its rollers 20c off of the supporting surface 16. Strap member 3la may be suitably secured to planar surface 16 so as to extend upwardly therefrom.

To facilitate the proper positioning of sliver can 20 with respect to the coiler head 10, the radius of the recess 31b in locating device 31 should be only slightly greater than the radius of the outer peripheral surface of antifriction bearing 300 of pilot member 30 and the axis of the radius of recess 31b should be substantially aligned with the vertical axis B. Also, to facilitate insertion of bearing 30c of pilot member 30 in recess 31b of locating device 31 by manually moving can 20, it is preferred that strap member 31a of locating device 31 is provided with laterally projecting wing portions 31c thereon projecting outwardly from opposing sides of the open side of recess 31b. Although recess 31b is preferably of semicircular form, as shown, the particular shape of recess is not critical as long as it is shaped to accommodate pilot member 30 and to function in the intended manner.

The means for rotating sliver can 20 also serves to maintain pilot member 30 in the recess 31b of locating device 31 so as to prevent pilot member 30 from unintentionally moving out of the open side of recess 31b during the coiling operation. Accordingly, driven rotary member 25 is positioned to engage a circular engageable means 35 carried by and substantially concentric with sliver can 20 so as to rotate sliver can 20 when pilot member 30 is positioned in the recess of locating device 31. The circular engageable means 35 is in the form of a circular band encircling a lower portion of sliver can 20 and which is, in this instance, suitably secured to the peripheral surface of the bottom wall 20b, as best shown in FIG. 2.

A substantial portion of circular band 35 projects downwardly below bottom wall 20b and is provided with a circular series of substantially equally spaced apertures 35a therethrough adapted to receive teeth 25a of driven rotary member 25 therein. Thus, apertures 35a have a circular pitch corresponding to that of the teeth 25a of rotary member 25, and the circular series of apertures 35a define tooth portions therebetween adapted to mesh with the teeth 25a of driven rotary member 25.

The circular band 35 is provided with a substantially concentric outer circumferential surface or race 35b thereon adjacent the tooth portions defined by apertures 35a. The relative diameters of the circumferential surfaces 25b, 35b of driven rotary member 25 and circular band 35, respectively, are such that circumferential surface 25b guidingly engages the circumferential surface 35b when pilot member 30 is positioned in recess 31b of locating device 31. Thus, while such circumferential surfaces 25b, 35b are in interengaging relationship, they serve to control the depth of intermeshing of the teeth 25a of driven rotary member 25 with respect to the tooth portions defined between the apertures 35a of circular band 35.

It is important to note that the open side of recess 31b in locating device 31 faces generally in the opposite direction from the direction of rotation of sliver can 20 adjacent the point of intermeshing of circular band 35 and driven rotary member 25, as indicated by the arrows in FIG. 4, whereby the driving force exerted on circular band 35 by driven rotary member 25 serves to maintain pilot member 30 in recess 31b.

To aid in guidingly positioning and retaining pilot member in engagement with locating device 31 during rotation of sliver can 20, it is preferred that locating device 31 is so arranged that pilot membcr 30 will snap into and out of recess 31b during donning and doffing of the sliver can 20. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 4, the diametrical plane of the open side of recess 31b, parallel with wing portions 310, extends at an angle of about 5 to l5 with respect to an imaginary horizontal line extending through the vertical axis of coiler shaft 23 and the axis B about which sliver can 20 is to rotate. Also, that terminal edge portion of the wall of recess 31b remote from coiler shaft 23 is so positioned that the right-hand wing portion 31c of FIG. 4 wedgingly engages pilot member 30 to force the circumferential surface b against circumferential surface 25b of rotary member 25 and thereby wedgingly guide the sliver can 20 into a predetermined position as an operator forces and thus snaps the pilot member 30 into recess 31b of locating device. The cumulative clearances between the various parts concerned and the inherent yieldability thereof permits the pilot member to be forced past the aforementioned terminal edge portion of the wall of recess 31b during donning and doffing of the sliver can without breaking or otherwise damaging such parts.

IT is thus seen that, upon the can 20 being filled with the desired amount of sliver, pilot member 30 may be easily removed from the recess of locating device 31, and the circular band 35 may be easily moved out of meshing relation with the teeth 25a of driven rotary member 25 simply by imparting a translational movement to can 20 in a direction away from the open side of recess 31b in locating device 31. Similarly, an empty can, constructed in the manner of the can 20, may be readily moved into the desired predetermined position simply by causing pilot member 30 to move into recess 31b of locat ing device 31 as the circumferential surface 35b of circular band 35 on the sliver can is moved into engagement with the circumferential surface 25b on the driven rotary member 25. The doffing and donning operations may be effected readily regardless of whether the rotary member is then rotating or at a standstill.

From the foregoing description, it is apparent that the operation of the textile coiler does not require any lifting of sliver can 20, it eliminates the need for any can turntable, and does not require that the operator noticeably displace any movable parts or the like during the positioning of the sliver can 20 in the predetermined operative position relative to the coiler head or during its removal from that position.

In the drawings and specification there has been set forth a preferred embodiment of the invention and although specific terms are employed, they are used in a generic and descriptive sense only, and not for purposes of limitation.

lclaim:

1. [n a textile coiler having a coiler head; the combination therewith of a sliver can with rollers depending from the bottom thereof for rotation of the can on a supporting surface beneath the coiler head, means carried by the sliver can and encircling the rollers thereof, sliver can drive means positioned to one side of the sliver can and engageable with said encircling means for imparting rotation to the sliver can, means extending upwardly from the supporting surface, and means carried by and depending from the central portion of the bottom of the sliver can and concentric therewith and engagingly cooperating with said upstanding means, said last recited means cooperating with said upstanding means and collectively serving as the sole means for positioning the sliver can in predetermined relation to the coiler head during rotation of the can.

2. In a textile coiler having a coiler head; the combination therewith of a sliver can with rollers depending from the bottom thereof for rotation of the can on a supporting surface beneath the coiler head, means carried by the sliver can and encircling the rollers thereof, sliver can drive means positioned to one side of the sliver can and engageable with said encircling means for imparting rotation to the sliver can,

means carried by and depending from the central portion of the bottom of the sliver can and concentric therewith, and upstanding means extending upwardly from the supporting surface and cooperating with said sliver can drive means and said means depending from the sliver can for guiding the sliver can into a predetermined position beneath the coiler head and collectively serving as the sole means for retaining the sliver can in said predetermined position during the coiling of sliver therein.

3. A structure according to claim 2, wherein said upstanding means includes a guide portion for wedgingly guiding the sliver can into said predetermined position.

4. A structure according to claim 2, wherein said upstanding means defines a recess for receiving said means depending from the sliver can and for retaining said sliver can in said predetermined position during coiling of the sliver therein.

5. in a textile coiler having means for feeding a sliver strand downwardly therethrough, and a planar surface spaced beneath said feeding means; the combination therewith of an upright sliver can provided with a bottom wall and having rollers depending therefrom and adapted to be supported on said supporting surface, a pilot member carried by and depending from the sliver can in substantially concentric relation thereto, a locating device positioned on and extending upwardly from said planar surface and having a recess therein open at one side thereof and adapted to engagingly receive said pilot member therein whereby said pilot member may be positioned in and removed from said recess without the necessity of lifting said sliver can to raise said rollers off of said supporting surface, circular engageable means carried by and substantially concentric with said sliver can, a driven rotary member positioned to engage said circular engageable means to rotate said sliver can when said pilot member is positioned in said recess of said locating device, and the relationship between said driven rotary member and said locating device being such that engagement of said rotary member with said circular engageable means maintains said pilot member in said recess during rotation of said sliver can.

6. A structure according to claim 5, wherein said locating device includes a substantially U-shaped wall portion defining said recess.

7. A structure according to claim 6, wherein said pilot member comprises a shaft secured to and projecting downwardly from the bottom wall of the sliver can, and a roller memberjournaled on said shaft and being ofa diameter to be matingly received in said U-shaped wall portion of said locating device.

8. A structure according to claim 5, wherein said circular engageable means carried by the sliver can comprises a circular band encircling a lower portion of said can and having a circular series of substantially equally spaced tooth portions thereon, and said driven rotary member having a circular series of projecting teeth thereon and adapted to mesh with said tooth portions of said circular band.

9. A structure according to claim 8, wherein said circular band is provided with a circular series of apertures therethrough defining said tooth portions therebetween.

10. A structure according to claim 8, wherein said circular band is provided with a substantially concentric outer circumferential surface thereon adjacent said tooth portions thereof, and said driven rotary member also having thereon a substantially concentric circumferential surface for guidingly engaging said outer circumferential surface of said circular band when said pilot member is positioned in said recess of said locating device.

11. A structure according to claim 5, wherein said circular engageable means and said driven rotary member are provided with peripheral teeth thereon which intermesh while said pilot member is positioned in said recess, and also wherein said circular engageable means and said driven rotary means are provided with respective circumferential surfaces which are in interengaging relationship while said pilot member is gositioned in said recess for controlling the depth of intermes ing of said circular engageable means and said rotary member.

12. A structure according to claim 11, wherein the open side of said recess in said locating device faces generally in the opposite direction from the direction of rotation of the sliver can adjacent the point of intermeshing of said circular engaging means and said driven rotary member whereby the driving force exerted on said circular engageable means by said driven rotary member serves to maintain said pilot member in said recess.

13. A structure according to claim 12, wherein said locating device includes a guide portion leading into said recess and so positioned with respect to said driven rotary member and said circular engageable means as to wedgingly guide said pilot member into said recess during donning of the sliver can and thereby to retain said pilot member in said recess. 

1. In a textile coiler having a coiler head; the combination therewith of a sliver can with rollers depending from the bottom thereof for rotation of the can on a supporting surface beneath the coiler head, means carried by the sliver can and encircling the rollers thereof, sliver can drive means positioned to one side of the sliver can and engageable with said encircling means for imparting rotation to the sliver can, means extending upwardly from the supporting surface, and means carried by and depending from the central portion of the bottom of the sliver can and concentric therewith and engagingly cooperating with said upstanding means, said last recited means cooperating with said upstanding means and collectively serving as the sole means for positioning the sliver can in predetermined relation to the coiler head during rotation of the can.
 2. In a textile coiler having a coiler head; the combination therewith of a sliver can with rollers depending from the bottom thereof for rotation of the can on a supporting surface beneath the coiler head, means carried by the sliver can and encircling the rollers thereof, sliver can drive means positioned to one side of the sliver can and engageable with said encircling means for imparting rotation to the sliver can, means carried by and depending from the central portion of the bottom of the sliver can and concentric therewith, and upstanding means extending upwardly from the supporting surface and cooperating with said sliver can drive means and said means depending from the sliver can for guiding the sliver can into a predetermined position beneath the coiler head and collectively serving as the sole means for retaining the sliver can in said predetermined position during the coiling of sliver therein.
 3. A structure according to claim 2, wherein said upstanding means includes a guide portion for wedgingly guiding the sliver can into said predetermined position.
 4. A structure according to claim 2, wherein said upstanding means defines a recess for receiving said means depending from the sliver can and for retaining said sliver can in said predetermined position during coiling of the sliver therein.
 5. In a textile coiler having means for feeding a sliver strand downwardly therethrough, and a planar surface spaced beneath said feeding means; the combination therewith of an upright sliver can provided with a bottom wall and having rollers depending therefrom and adapted to be supported on said supporting surface, a pilot member carried by and depending from the sliver can in substantially concentric relation thereto, a locating device positioned on and extending upwardly from said planar surface and having a recess therein open at one side thereof and adapted to engagingly receive said pilot member therein whereby said pilot member may be positioned in and rEmoved from said recess without the necessity of lifting said sliver can to raise said rollers off of said supporting surface, circular engageable means carried by and substantially concentric with said sliver can, a driven rotary member positioned to engage said circular engageable means to rotate said sliver can when said pilot member is positioned in said recess of said locating device, and the relationship between said driven rotary member and said locating device being such that engagement of said rotary member with said circular engageable means maintains said pilot member in said recess during rotation of said sliver can.
 6. A structure according to claim 5, wherein said locating device includes a substantially U-shaped wall portion defining said recess.
 7. A structure according to claim 6, wherein said pilot member comprises a shaft secured to and projecting downwardly from the bottom wall of the sliver can, and a roller member journaled on said shaft and being of a diameter to be matingly received in said U-shaped wall portion of said locating device.
 8. A structure according to claim 5, wherein said circular engageable means carried by the sliver can comprises a circular band encircling a lower portion of said can and having a circular series of substantially equally spaced tooth portions thereon, and said driven rotary member having a circular series of projecting teeth thereon and adapted to mesh with said tooth portions of said circular band.
 9. A structure according to claim 8, wherein said circular band is provided with a circular series of apertures therethrough defining said tooth portions therebetween.
 10. A structure according to claim 8, wherein said circular band is provided with a substantially concentric outer circumferential surface thereon adjacent said tooth portions thereof, and said driven rotary member also having thereon a substantially concentric circumferential surface for guidingly engaging said outer circumferential surface of said circular band when said pilot member is positioned in said recess of said locating device.
 11. A structure according to claim 5, wherein said circular engageable means and said driven rotary member are provided with peripheral teeth thereon which intermesh while said pilot member is positioned in said recess, and also wherein said circular engageable means and said driven rotary means are provided with respective circumferential surfaces which are in interengaging relationship while said pilot member is positioned in said recess for controlling the depth of intermeshing of said circular engageable means and said rotary member.
 12. A structure according to claim 11, wherein the open side of said recess in said locating device faces generally in the opposite direction from the direction of rotation of the sliver can adjacent the point of intermeshing of said circular engaging means and said driven rotary member whereby the driving force exerted on said circular engageable means by said driven rotary member serves to maintain said pilot member in said recess.
 13. A structure according to claim 12, wherein said locating device includes a guide portion leading into said recess and so positioned with respect to said driven rotary member and said circular engageable means as to wedgingly guide said pilot member into said recess during donning of the sliver can and thereby to retain said pilot member in said recess. 